How to... find a specific legal article efficiently

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Use the steps to find out if a journal (year of publication) is available, if not go to the next step.

1) use the E-journals search to find a digital journal at the UvA;
2) use the UvA catalogue to locate a paper journal at the UvA;
3) use PiCarta to request a copy from an other library in the Netherlands*.

* you will need an ILL account

E-journals search
If you are searching for a copy of a specific legal article, you are in fact searching for the (digital) availability of a journal. The Law Library has subscriptions to individual paper and digital law journals but also to large digital journal collections e.g. HeinOnline, Westlaw international and Beck-online.

The fastest way to find out if a journal is digitally available is by using the E-journals search, a function which can be found in CataloguePlus.

If the journal you are searching for is available, a click on the title will show the UvA-linker with vendor information and years available. Choose the one you need and simply browse to year, issue, page number and open the full text of the article. Now you can print it or save a (PDF) copy. Beware of title abbreviations.

UvA catalogue
If the journal is not digitally available or the year is not covered, you have to locate the paper version of the journal at the UvA (most often the Law Library). Use the catalogue and search with 'words from journal title'. Click the 'info' button in the results list to find out the call number, location and holding (years covered).

Now you have to go to the library and make a copy of/or scan of the paper version.

PiCarta
When the UvA does not have a paper version of the journal in collection or the year is not covered, your last option is to request a copy of the article from an other library in the Netherlands. Note that you will need an ILL account first.

In PiCarta search with 'title words: journal'. Click on the title of the journal and use 'NCC collection' to get an overview of libraries which hold this journal. Click on 'photocopy', log in and enter the required information. A paper copy of the article will be sent to your home address.

For more information on finding (international) legal literature (books, articles on topic) please refer to our guide Legal literature. For Dutch legal literature use our guide Juridische literatuur.